Oops...Wayward Obama team e-mail sent to reporters. The Goolsbee factor. The Frankel file. Economic speech text.

SHARE Oops...Wayward Obama team e-mail sent to reporters. The Goolsbee factor. The Frankel file. Economic speech text.

OAKLAND, CALIF.–Here’s a rare peak inside the speech-making process at the Obama campaign, where Thursday Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), the presumptive GOP nominee would only continue President Bush’s economic policies.

At the end of a copy of a speech sent to reporters on Thursday was an e-mail from deputy speechwriter Adam Frankel asking the team for input on revisions. The e-mail also shows that Austan Goolsbee–who got in a jam when he talked NAFTA with Canadian officials–is stlll doing high level advising.

Frankel intersects several people in the Obama world. He assisted former President Kennedy speechwriter Ted Sorenson in his memoir. Sorenson is a big backer of Obama. Frankel is the co-writer of a book with Rep. Pat Murphy (D-Pa.) about Murphy’s road to Congress. Murphy is endorsing Obama.

Now, the header in the e-mail…

Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:50 AM

To: Austan Goolsbee; Robert Gibbs; David Axelord (AKPD Media); Dan Pfeiffer; David Plouffe; Jon Favreau; Heather Higginbottom; Ben Rhodes; Devorah Adler; Shauna Daly; Anita Dunn (Squier Knapp Dunn Media); Valerie Jarrett; Liz Oxhorn; Jen Psaki; Reggie Love; Bill Burton

Subject: RE: draft econ stim rmks

added stuff on executive compensation and the mccain plan how does this look to folks?

click below to decode e-mail list.

Goolsbee–economic adviser

Gibbs–communications chief

Axelrod–chief strategist

Pfeiffer–deputy communications

Plouffe–campaign manager

Favreau–director of speechwriting

Higginbottom–policy advisor

Rhodes–speechwriting

Adler–Research director

Dunn–senior advisory role helping with strategic communications.

Jarrett–advisor

Psaki–traveling press secretary

Love–Body man

Burton–national press secretary

========================================

from the Obama campaign

EMBARGOED for DELIVERY

Remarks for Senator Barack Obama

Gary, Indiana

Thursday, April 10, 2008

As Prepared for Delivery

Before we get started today, I just want to say a few words about the troubling economic situation weve got in this country. This is the number one issue on lots of peoples minds these days. And we all know why because the cost of everything from health care, to a tank of gas, to college tuition has gone up while wages have stayed the same. Millions of Americans are facing foreclosure, and millions more are unemployed.

And yet, we also know that times havent been too tough for everyone in our economy because the top Wall Street CEOs have been doing just fine. In this mornings USA Today, there was a story about how much the top CEOs have been making. They did a study and found that the top 50 CEOs made somewhere around $15.7 million last year despite the fact that many of their companies were having a bad year. Think about that. It doesnt matter whether theyre doing a good job or not Wall Street executives are being rewarded either way.

Thats not the America we believe in. Thats an outrage. But its not an accident. Its a consequence of a tired and cynical philosophy that has failed the American people. Its a philosophy that says unless youre a big campaign donor or a special interest lobbyist, youre on your own. And its a philosophy thats come to dominate Washington over the last seven and a half years.

Under George Bush, weve seen tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who dont need them and didnt ask for them. Weve been giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas when we should be giving them to companies that create good jobs here at home. Weve been extending a hand to Wall Street, but not lifting a finger for Main Street. And we wonder why polls show folks are more downbeat about their futures than theyve been in nearly fifty years.

Now, I respect John McCain. Hell be a worthy opponent. But hes been a staunch supporter of Washingtons failed policies, and in this election he will offer more of the same policies that have set back working people. I admired Senator McCain when he stood up and said that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans offended his conscience. But he got over that, and now hes all for them, and for continuing to do the same things that have taken us toward recession.

Just look at the speech hes giving today about our economy. Senator McCain is making some proposals about how to deal with our housing crisis. And Im glad hes finally decided to offer a plan. Better late than never. But dont expect any real answers. Dont expect it to actually help struggling families. Because Senator McCains solution to the housing crisis seems a lot like the George Bush solution of sitting by and hoping it passes while families face foreclosure and watch the value of their homes erode.

The American people cant afford this kind of do-nothing approach. They need help immediately. Now, Congress took some steps several weeks ago to stimulate our economy and many of these steps were ones I was calling for back in January. But our economy keeps getting worse. Just last week, we learned that weve lost 232,000 jobs this year and 80,000 jobs were lost in March alone. Thats why Im calling for a second stimulus package to help hardworking families and strengthen our middle class.

First, we need to get immediate relief to the unemployed who need help most. If youve lost your job during this current economic downturn, youre nearly twice as likely to stay unemployed for six months or longer as you were at the start of the last recession in 2001. Its especially hard to find a job for older workers who dont have the skills to compete in our 21st century economy. So we need to significantly extend unemployment insurance and expand it to include folks who are currently left out. That way, we can help them make ends meet while theyre out of work, and make sure theyre still spending money so we can keep the wheels of our economy turning.

Second, we need to address the crisis in the housing market because we know that the housing crisis is the source of many of the other economic problems were facing today. Thats why Ive called for the immediate creation of a $10 billion Foreclosure Prevention Fund. This fund would help struggling homeowners sell a home thats beyond their means, or get emergency pre-foreclosure counseling so they can make informed decisions, or modify their loans to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Finally, Ive also proposed $10 billion in relief for state and local governments in those areas that are being hardest hit by our housing crisis and struggling economy because we need to make sure that they have enough money to provide critical services like health care and housing, and dont have to cut back on providing help for our families in these difficult times.

But understand, if were serious about strengthening our economy, weve got to invest in long-term job growth as well. Now, back in the 1950s, Americans were put to work building the Interstate Highway system and that helped expand the middle class in this country. We need to show the same kind of leadership today. Thats why Ive called for a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years and generate nearly two million new jobs many of them in the construction industry thats suffered during this housing crisis.

And Ive also proposed investing $150 billion in our green energy sector over the next ten years. This wont just help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and it wont just help save this planet for our children. It will also create up to five million new jobs and those are jobs that pay well and cant be outsourced.

This is the kind of help Americans need. And this is the kind of help Washington has to provide. Its time to end the Bush-McCain approach that tells the American people youre on your own because we know were all in this together as Americans. Thats what brought you here today. And thats the idea well restore in the White House when Im President of the United States.

——————————————————————————–

From: Adam Frankel

Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 8:50 AM

To: Austan Goolsbee; Robert Gibbs; David Axelord (AKPD Media); Dan Pfeiffer; David Plouffe; Jon Favreau; Heather Higginbottom; Ben Rhodes; Devorah Adler; Shauna Daly; Anita Dunn (Squier Knapp Dunn Media); Valerie Jarrett; Liz Oxhorn; Jen Psaki; Reggie Love; Bill Burton

Subject: RE: draft econ stim rmks

added stuff on executive compensation and the mccain plan how does this look to folks?

Before we get started today, I just want to say a few words about the troubling economic situation weve got in this country. This is the number one issue on lots of peoples minds these days. And we all know why because the cost of everything from health care, to a tank of gas, to college tuition has gone up while wages have stayed the same. Millions of Americans are facing foreclosure, and millions more are unemployed.

And yet, we also know that times havent been too tough for everyone in our economy because the top Wall Street CEOs have been doing just fine. In this mornings USA Today, there was a story about how much the top CEOs have been making. They did a study and found that the top 50 CEOs made somewhere around $15.7 million last year. Think about that. At a time when our economy was rolling toward recession. At a time when everyday folks have been feeling more downbeat about their futures than they have in nearly fifty years. At a time when Americas families have less and less, Wall Street executives have been making more and more.

Thats not the America we believe in. Thats an outrage. But its not an accident. Its a consequence of a tired and cynical philosophy that has failed the American people. Its a philosophy that says unless youre a big campaign donor or a special interest lobbyist, youre on your own. And its a philosophy thats come to dominate Washington over the last seven and a half years.

Under George Bush, weve seen tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who dont need them and didnt ask for them. Weve been giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas when we should be giving them to companies that create good jobs here at home. Weve been extending a hand to Wall Street, but not lifting a finger for Main Street. So is it any wonder that for the first time in our history, weve seen our economy grow at a time when your wages havent?

Now, I respect John McCain. Hell be a worthy opponent. But he seems to think what the Bush administration has been doing is working because hes offering more of the same. Just look at the speech hes giving today about our economy. Senator McCain is making some proposals about how to deal with our housing crisis. And Im glad hes finally decided to offer a plan. Better late than never. But dont expect any real answers. Dont expect it to actually help struggling families. Because Senator McCains solution to the housing crisis seems a lot like the George Bush solution of sitting by and hoping it passes while families face foreclosure and watch the value of their homes erode.

##

The Latest
Despite getting into foul trouble, which limited him to just six minutes in the second half, Shannon finished with 29 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Cowboy hats, bell-bottoms and boots were on full display Thursday night as fans lined up for the first of his three sold-out shows.
The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m. near Minooka. The horse was successfully placed back into the trailer, and the highway reopened about 40 minutes later. No injuries were reported.
The Hawks conceded the game’s only two goals within the first seven minutes and were shut out for the 12th time this season in a 2-0 defeat Thursday.